Castlevania: Eternal Sorrow
by Psychotic Vampiric
Summary: This is my first Fanfic! This takes place one year after the events of DoS. Andrew Gold has been called upon to investigate the first appearence of Eternal Night after almost a millenia. What he discovers there may be more than he can handle.
1. Chapter 1

**Castlevania: Eternal Sorrow**

This is my first fanfic! Please r/r! Note: I do not own any of the characters in the Castlevania series. Any original characters are mine and any copying of them will result in a combo attack from every single character in this fanfic.

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Chapter 1: Return of an ancient castle 

Andrew sighed as he looked out the window of the classroom. It was another boring day as usual in good old Tokyo of 2037. It had been five years since he had transferred to Japan from America as a foreign exchange student. His workload here was easily a thousand times harder than it was in America, but with a little self-discipline and a desire to learn anything he could, he managed to get through it with high grades. Today the history class was covering events during the Holy Crusades in Europe. For some reason he knew all of it as if he had actually witnessed it.

Teacher: "Alright, who can tell me what were the results of the crusades?"

"_That's easy enough,"_ a voice echoed in Andrew's head, _"The crusaders traded with their Muslim adversaries which eventually led to the spread of knowledge and an end to the Dark Ages." _Andrew raised his hand and gave the answer to the teacher, who told him that he was correct. Andrew had always heard the voice in his head since he was very young. His parents had been worried at first, but a psychological test easily disproved the theory of insanity. He now thought of it as the way his mind relayed information. The teacher then looked over to Soma Cruz, another exchange student, and told him to pay attention. Soma then hurriedly turned his attention back to the class and away from his friend, Mina Hakuba. Andrew had known Soma ever since he had arrived in Japan. He thought of Soma as a pretty nice guy, if somewhat secretive. He also knew that he had a huge crush on Mina, even if neither he nor Mina would admit it. Recently, though, they had begun to spend a great deal more time talking with each other and less time with him. The dismissal bell rang and the students filed out of the classroom to enjoy the rest of their Saturday. Mina leaves Soma as he walks up to a man in a black tuxedo. Andrew quickly runs after them.

Andrew: "Hey Soma! Wait up!" Andrew ran to catch up with Soma who was talking with the man in a black tuxedo. "Hey Soma, How's it going?"

Soma: "Ah, Andrew hello. Nice to see you again…"

Andrew: "…Um, didn't you just see me in class?

Soma: "You know what I mean! Hey, Andrew, could you hold on for just a second, I need to have a word with my friend here.

Man: "Actually, I'd like to have a word with this one too, Soma." The man extends his hand to Andrew. "My name is Genya Arikado. It's nice to meet you." Andrew shakes the man's hand and notices how deathly cold it is. He also gets a good look at the man. He is a tall, thin man with a face as pale as newly fallen snow. Nonetheless, he has a very beautiful face with long, jet-black hair trailing down his back.

Andrew: "Nice to meet you, too. So, what do I need to talk with you about?"

Soma: "Yes Genya, what did you want to talk about?"

Arikado: There have been rumors of a castle appearing in the middle of Europe. The area around the castle is surrounded in eternal night."

Soma: "You have got to be kidding me…"

Arikado: "Do not worry, this is not Castlevania… 

Andrew: "Castlevania? Isn't that supposed to be the castle of the mythological Dracula?

Arikado: "You may want to reconsider what part of Dracula is mythological. At any rate, the castle raised is in a forest called Eternal Night…" Suddenly, a sword flies out at Arikado, sticking into his arm. Arikado gasps in pain and whirls around at the source. A figure is hiding in the shadows, watching the three of them. Another two swords seem to appear from thin air and attack Arikado, who dodges the swords just in time. "Joachim…"

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So, what do you guys think? I'll post the next chapter very soon, so you won't have to wait very long.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Power Awakened

A/N: Sorry this took so long. The stupid computer thought the file was infected and I had to start from scratch. Hope it was worth the wait. The trademarked characters are not mine, the others are.

The man in the shadows steps out of the shadows enough to reveal his face. His complexion is so pail that it makes pure ivory look gray. His hair is silver which he lets fall to his shoulders. His eyes shine with a red glow. "Good to see you again, Arikado," Says Joachim, "Sorry I got you in the arm. I guess that my aim isn't what it once was." "What are you doing here? I thought you had agreed to simply watch over the castle until the right time." Arikado says, the wound in his arm already healing. "Change of plans. I have decided to become the new lord, which I cannot do so long as that boy lives."

"Now just wait a second," Says Soma, "I thought Arikado said that Castlevania wasn't the castle that had risen. If it isn't, then there's no reason for this violence." Joachim turns to Andrew with an unemotional glaze in his eyes. "Wrong kid." He says, as he sends one psychically charged sword towards a very confused Andrew. Time slows down to a crawl for Andrew as the sword rushes for him. _"It's all right," says_ the voice in Andrew's head, _"grab the sword and all will be well." _ Andrew has no time to question the voice, as the sword is inches away from his head. He reaches out and grabs the sword by its blade and time speeds up again. Andrew has a firm hold on the sword and is not harmed in any way.

Joachim stares at him in confusion as the swords purple aura fades almost completely. The sword is then consumed in an aura of pure darkness. Andrew feels pure power surging through his entire body. Joachim's eyes widen in realization as he moves back. "I see," says Joachim, "So it has begun then. Well, I certainly need more time to prepare for this unexpected little twist of fate." He points dramatically at Andrew. "All right then, I think it only fitting that I issue a proper challenge this time. My name…is Joachim Armster, and I invite you all to my palace." Andrew looks at him like he is insane. "So you basically want me to come to your castle in God only knows where and put my life in mortal danger for no particular reason?" Joachim chuckles to himself for a moment "Of course not, my dear boy. There is a wager. If you don't come, then I'm afraid something may have to happen to this dear little girl." Joachim points down the street to a group of men who have just finished stuffing Mina into the back of a limo. The limo speeds out of sight as Soma watches in helpless horror.

"Ah," says Andrew, "Yes, that would be sufficient motivation you spineless son of a-" "Now, now!" interrupts Joachim, "There's no need for language such as that! Do not worry; she will be perfectly safe. Provided, of course, you come to my home in no more than two weeks time. Oh! Before I forget, I have a parting gift for you." Joachim snaps his fingers and no less than 20 skeletons dig their way out of the street. Joachim laughs maniacally as he evaporates into mist. "Damn," swears Arikado," I can't fight them bare handed in this daylight! Soma! Andrew! I need you to take care of them. Soma nods as Arikado tosses a small switchblade to him. Andrew stares in confusion at his surroundings as he questions every law of nature he has been taught. _"Take my advice, young one." _Says the voice, _"The laws of nature are meaningless to you now. You just need to make the best of what you've got. Now just listen to me, and you'll be alright."_ Andrew nods nervously as he raises the sword and prepares to fight.

So, there's chapter two. Next chapter we see some fighting and then it's off to the castle. Please R/R!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: First Battle

In our last chapter, poor Soma and Andrew are facing 20 skeletons. Now we get to see what Andrew can do with that sword he swiped from Joachim. Heh, heh…Soma's stuck with that puny little knife. Poor guy.

Soma and Andrew wasted no time in attacking the undead horde. Soma is forced to attack from extremely close range with the knife, but his years of experience more than make up for it. Andrew's sword lets him keep the skeleton's at arm's length, but is unable to press the situation due to his shaken state. Soma is shocked when the skeleton he is fighting leaps into the air and brings his bone club down on Soma. Soma is able to dodge just barely, while the same cannot be said of poor Andrew as the bone connects with his shoulder.

_"You're doing it all wrong." _Says the voice in Andrew's head. _"You should be accessing your mana" _Okay, whoever you are, what the hell are you talking about? _"It's your latent power. First, put some distance between yourself and the skeletons." _Andrew takes a long jump backwards away from the walking boneheads. _"Very good. That's the way you want to work. Now, focus your thoughts on projecting your swords edge. Call upon the darkness within you." _Andrew focuses his mind and slices at the air with his sword. Instantly, an edge of pure darkness flies at the enemy skeletons, slicing 5 of them in half. Andrew and Soma stare in awe at what they see. _"You see? I told you it would work. But take care not to drain your mana too quickly." _Andrew nods, his confidence regained. While Soma continues his close up assault with the switchblade, Andrew proceeds to slice some of them up-close then jump back and launch a few shadow edges at the skeletons. In a short time, all of the skeletons have been reduced to small piles of dust.

"That was very good, you two," says Arikado, "I know why Soma was able to do that, but how were you able to, Andrew?" "Oh, it's nothing really," Says Andrew, "I have a habit of practicing all sorts of odd techniques in my spare time. I like to be well rounded." "I see," says Arikado, not fully believing him, "Well, I think that it's best we not dally in getting to the castle. To Eternal Night it is…" Andrew's mind reels at the mention of the name, thinking that he had heard it before, even felt like he had been there. He quickly dismissed it as he heads off with Arikado and Soma. Soma stops them and points to his school uniform. "Um, maybe this is just me, but I think that we should go and change into clothes that are more fitting for this occasion? Andrew agrees and heads home to change clothes. _"I know you're scared," _says the voice in Andrew's head, _"but I can help you where we are going." _In the meantime, Andrew thinks, would you mind telling me why I have these powers? _"I'm not sure. I guess we'll just have to go to Eternal Night and find out, won't we?" _Andrew is now fairly certain that he has gone insane and decides to just go along with it.

So what do you think? We get to meet some old friends in the next chapter and we see the castle of Eternal Night.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Welcome to Eternal Night

A/N So, I hope you all liked the last chapter. Andrew had his first battle, Soma, Andrew and Arikado are off to rescue Mina, and Andrew is getting used to the idea of all sorts of things happening. Now, for the first time in a thousand years, we return to the castle in the forest of Eternal Night. I do not own Castlevania, it is too popular. But Eternal Night…I wonder…

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Outside the forest of Eternal Night, Julius Belmont waits. Arikado had called him and said to wait outside the castle. To get the rest of the gang here, he had called Yoko and told her that Mina had been captured and where to find her. As for Hammer…well, all he had to do was tell him where Yoko was and he got here before she did. That lovesick baka…Julius snaps his thoughts back to reality and reminded himself of the situation. A vampire, possibly stronger than Dracula ever was, had betrayed Arikado and claimed this new (or rather, old?) castle as his own. And now Arikado had dragged some new boy into this whole mess. Well, what else was new? He pulls himself together as a car pulls up to the edge of the forest. Out first comes Arikado, looking as pale and as gloomy as ever. Next is Soma, Julius' good friend. For some reason it did his old heart good to see Soma again. Finally, the new kid gets out of the car. Rather than the all white attire of Soma, the boy is dressed in a black t-shirt and loose black jeans. His wavy dark brown hair is neatly trimmed and kept out of his eyes. His dark hazel eyes have a warmth about them to make him look very friendly. At his side hangs a sword as black as the clothes he wears. He extends his hand towards Julius. "Julius Belmont, I presume? I am Andrew Gold, nice to meet you." Julius shakes his hand firmly. He suddenly feels a great surge of rage from the Vampire Killer whip. It is not directed toward the boy, rather, something inside him. Julius ignores it and smiles at the boy. "Nice to meet you too. So, you're the boy Joachim wants to kill?" Andrew nods uncomfortably. "Any ideas why?" "All he said was that I stood in the way of him becoming the lord of the castle. Oh well, if he wants a fight, I'll give him one." "I don't think we should linger here any longer." Says Arikado. "We need to get inside the castle and finish this matter" Soma nods and starts walking toward the castle, Andrew walking slightly ahead of him. The rage from the whip fades to a din as Andrew walks off. "Who is that boy, Arikado? The whip really doesn't like him." "I can't be sure, but I have a very good idea. I've been feeling a great power inside him, desperately trying to get out. The last time I felt it was back at Castlevania, inside of Soma. Come, we mustn't let them get too far ahead." "Why not?" Soma and Andrew shout down the path "Come on, old-timers!" Julius is running after them very quickly, growling and laughing at the same time.

Andrew is amazed at the sight before his eyes. The castle before him is ancient, yet it could have been built a few years ago from the condition he saw. The many towers loom over everything, making him feel like a simple ant standing up to some ferocious dragon. Much closer than the castle, however, is a small, cozy looking cabin. The light shining through the windows makes Andrew very curious. They say curiosity killed a member of the feline family…Andrew disagreed. Andrew walks up to the cabin and opens the door. Inside is a man standing behind a counter with an odd assortment of goods. The light glistens off of the mans bald head. He is dressed from head to toe in army fatigues. "Howdy!" Says the man, "What can I do ya' for?" "What the heck is this place?" Andrew picks up a small statue and examines it. The man quickly snatches it away and sets it down gently. "THIS just so happens to be the finest store you'll find anywhere! It's chocked full of all sorts of goodies that'll help you in the castle." Andrew looks up excitedly "These things will help me? How?" "Well…" says The man, his eyes glimmering with greed at the thought of the gold he could make from this young man, "What are you looking' for?" "First, why don't you tell me your name?" "I am Hammer, salesman extraordinaire! My greatest ambition is to one day wed the beautiful Yoko Belnades!" "Oh yeah…" says Andrew, looking more suspicious, "Arikado told me to look out for a shopkeeper named Hammer." "What! You're friends with that Arikado fella? That means you know Yoko! Did she talk about me?" "Whoa! Slow down there, sparky! Just because I know Arikado doesn't mean that I know her! I know OF her, but that's it. So, what kinds of things do you have for sale?" Soma then walks into the shop, looking exhausted, followed by an obviously worn out Julius. Arikado calmly follows behind them. "I…don't….get it!" gasps Soma. "I know what you mean!" Says Julius. "No one runs that fast without getting tired! Well, except for Arikado, but he's not human." Andrew smiles at them teasingly. "I like to be speedy. Keeps me one step ahead of the competition. Now then, you were trying to sell me stuff?" Hammer gets happy again when Arikado interjects. "Sorry Andrew, but you don't have the kind of money that this castle takes. You'll have to come back later." "Now just hold on there!" interrupts Hammer, "I like the kid. He knows a good shop when he sees it. Just for that, I'm gonna let him take one item free! Well, actually, I'm just gonna give him something, but I think he'll like it! Voila!" Hammer pulls a long, black leather trench coat out of the closet. The trench coat has belts with loops on the side, letting it hold items on it. Andrew stares at it with some confusion. "Well, it's a nice coat, but wouldn't it hinder me in a fight? You know, wind resistance and all?" "You'd think so," says Hammer, "but for some reason, people wearing anything resembling a cape get a power boost in the castle. Look at Julius and Soma! They wear trench coats and they do even better than usual. I know it sounds crazy, but trust me it's true." "Well," says Andrew, "I've seen stranger in the past week. Well, thank you Hammer. I accept your gift with appreciation." Andrew puts it on, instantly increasing his coolness factor. "If ya need anything else, you can always come to me! Assuming, of course, you've got some actual money." Andrew walks out the door and starts to run toward the gates of the castle. Julius and Soma groan as they try to keep up with Andrew, but to no avail. The gates of the castle, pulled up, begin to lower themselves. Andrew, Soma and Julius take their first steps into the castle.

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Enjoyed that? If not, I'm sorry, just showing the shop system and introducing Julius and Hammer. Hope you guys anticipate the next chapter!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Into The House of Sacred Remains

A/N Welcome to the castle! After some idle prattle, the adventure will really get started. Sorry the plot is going so slow, just wanting to get all the good stuff. Enjoy! I do not own Castlevania.

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When Andrew tried to get into the place he knew Joachim was, a seal blocked his way. According

to the writing on the door, the five guardians of the castle. He walked down the hall into the next room.

Andrew stared at the room in front of him. The circular area had 5 glowing tiles with a title glowing on it. He had read each one and had determined that each one led to a certain part of the castle. He would have gone but…he laughed as Soma and Julius finally caught up. They were strong, but they just didn't have the kind of speed training that he did. "Jeeze, Andrew!" shouted Soma, "How in the heck did you get to be so fast?!" "That…is a secret!" (Somewhere far away, Xelloss sneezes.) "So," said Andrew, "Which one do you guys want?" _"Soma may not enter." _Excuse me? _"Joachim has made it so that any related to Dracula may not enter." _What does that have to do with Soma? Soma steps on to one of the panels and is thrown against the wall. "Ouch! What was that?!" "Soma…" Said Andrew, "…are you related to Dracula?" "Well…yes. I am his reincarnation." Andrew was completely shocked and angered that Soma had hidden something so important from him. "Oh, and you planned to tell me this WHEN?!" A woman stepped out of the shadows and walks toward the group. She is dressed in clothes of the church, with blonde hair flowing down her back. "Don't be too hard on him. He thought you would be cold toward him if you knew." "Yoko!" Shouted both Soma and Julius. "Hey guy's! Long time no see!" "When did you get here?" Asked Julius. "Yesterday. I came in through a hidden passage." "Why didn't you just come in the front way?" Andrew suddenly remembered the way Hammer was obsessed with Yoko. "Oh. Heh. Never mind." "So, you're Andrew? I'm Yoko, nice to meet you." Yoko extended her hand toward Andrew, who shakes it warmly. "Same here. So, why can't Soma enter?" He tries to look surprised as to the manner of the barrier that he was correct about when Yoko told it to him. _"Told you so." _ Said the voice in his head. "But I have to save Mina!" Soma looks distraught by the fact that he cannot help her. Andrew put his hand on Soma's shoulder and looked him straight in the eye. "I swear to you, I will do everything I can to get Mina back. Julius, why don't you choose which place you want to go to?" "I'll take the Ghostly Theatre. You take The House of Sacred Remains." "I'll go with you…" Began Yoko, but Julius shot her down. "I need you here to try and break the seal on the door." Yoko pouts and turns toward the door. Just as she is about to walk out, she turns around and talks to Andrew. "While you're in the House, could you do me a favor?" Andrew nodded. "If you meet a female in there named Elizabeth, please bring her back here. She stupidly wandered into the castle and decided to explore the House." Andrew stepped onto the center panel and vanished in a flash of light.

The House was monstrous and majestic at the same time. The entire place looked as if it had been a huge block of marble that someone had decided to lovingly hollow out into rooms with majestic statues. Yet, this place felt anything but sacred. Undead monstrosities lurked in the shadows, waiting to attack anything that moved. Andrew had an easy time with the first few rooms, where only a few skeletons and some zombies lived. But when he got to a room with armored skeletons, things got a lot trickier. He struck them with the sword, which he called the Dark Vorpal Blade, but they simply shrugged it off. He had to weave in and out of them in order to just avoid them. _"Not so easy, is it? And it's going to get harder before it gets easier." _Whoever you are, you aren't helping. Andrew finally reached a large, chapel like room. 6 robed figures were circled around a girl who had been tied up and hung upside down from the ceiling. Andrew quickly recognized them as the men who had taken Mina. Despite the sudden urge to torture the whereabouts of Mina out of them, he decided to watch what they were doing. "We are the servants of the great Joachim. We are his children. We shall show our devotion to Him by offering this virgin sacrifice to him." The girl was screaming and crying through the gag. Andrew chose this moment to step out of the shadows. "Well boys, as fun as a virgin sacrifice sounds, I'm afraid that I have to object." The men gasped in shock at the sight of him. "The rival master…if we sacrifice him to our master, then he will surely be invincible!" The men gather in a circle and began to chant. Andrew rolled his eyes and pulled out the Dark Vorpal Blade. The men finished their chant and a creature began to form. Suddenly, the creature took the shape of a huge, festering dragon. Andrew stared in shock and imagined mentally shouted every profanity he knew. "Out of the frying pan and into the fing fire." He sees the men rush toward the girl with daggers raised. Andrew decides that these guys needed to go. As he was running toward them, the voice spoke to him. _"If you want to kill them all, I would suggest concentrating your energy into a condensed state and then releasing it. It's a low-level move, but it should take care of these worthless humans." _How do you know these things? After this, I want some answers! Andrew stops not even a foot away from the priests and unleashes his built up energy. "Dark Impact!" The resulting shockwave ripped through the air. The priests, in the immediate vicinity of the blast, are obliterated. The dragon, however, merely cringed. Andrew, finished with the priests, turned to the girl and cut her free. She stared up at him slightly taken aback. Andrew offered her his hand. "Are you alright?" The girl simply nods as she accepts his hand. A curious thought suddenly crossed his mind. "You wouldn't be…Elizabeth, would you?" "Yes. How did…?" She is cut off as the dragon launches a fireball at them which barely misses. "Later!" Shouted Andrew. "Right now, I've gotta take care of this thing!" Andrew is about to fight the dragon when he hears Elizabeth speak. "Um…I can help. I don't know how much help I can be, but I'll try." Andrew looks over at her and decided that against the dragon, he'll need all the help he can get. Elizabeth pulls out a book and prepares to fight alongside her rescuer…

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So, what do you guys think so far? Any advice is welcome. Next chapter, the first mini boss battle is underway. And why exactly did Elizabeth come to Eternal Night? You'll find out!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: New Companion

A/N How do you guys like the story so far? Not boring is it? Remember, any suggestions are welcome.

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Andrew launched himself at the dragon and began to slash at it viciously with his Dark Vorpal Blade. The cuts and gashes he landed on the dragon did not bleed and did not seem to hurt it. The dragon lifted up its massive claw and brought it swinging down on Andrew. The strike, however, was not nearly quick enough and Andrew jumped out of the way. "Wow," said Elizabeth, "Your fast. But you didn't seem to do much damage." "Well," said an irritated Andrew, "I'd like to see you do better." Elizabeth grinned mischievously. "I was hoping you'd say that." Elizabeth opened her book and began to recite ancient words. The dragon raises its claw toward Elizabeth, but Andrew, curious as to what Elizabeth was doing, ran in to distract the dragon. Andrew stabbed his sword into the dragons eye, causing the dragon to swat at him instead of Elizabeth. Elizabeth finally finished her incantation. "FIRE, HEAR MY CRY!" A large stream of fire burst out of the book and engulfed the dragon. Andrew's eyes went wide as he saw the kind of damage the fire did to the dragon. "Holy st! That was awesome!" Elizabeth beamed with pride at her magic. "But it did take kind of long to cast. If I hadn't stepped in, you would have been crushed." Elizabeth sweat dropped. Andrew saw her displeasure and added, "But don't get me wrong, it's still awesome! At least you did damage to it." _"Look out!!!" _shouted the voice in Andrew's head. Andrew grabbed Elizabeth and pulled her to the ground just as a huge fire ball from the dragon incinerated the wall behind them. Unfortunately, it put them in quite a compromising position.

"Um¼sorry." Elizabeth got up and brushed herself off. "Don't worry about it. It's not like you did it on purpose." Elizabeth and Andrew looked towards the dragon, who was partially burnt but still standing. Andrew got an idea. "Hey, Elizabeth. You are very good at damaging magic, but it takes too long to charge. I, on the other hand, can't do much damage but my attacks are quick and very annoying for the enemy¼" Elizabeth finished his idea. "So I should charge up my spells while you distract him with your attacks? Sounds good to me. Any other ideas?" Andrew thought for a second then whispered something to Elizabeth, who grinned very evilly. "Oh, you're good, you're very good." "I do my best, mam." Andrew lunged at the dragon while Elizabeth charged up a spell. The dragon launched a fireball at Andrew, but he easily avoided it and landed on the dragons head. He plunged his sword into the dragons head and jumped back as Elizabeth finished her spell. "LIGHTNING, HEAR MY CRY!" A huge lightning bolt struck the sword planted in the dragons head. In an instant, the dragons head exploded from the direct lightning bolt to the brain. The Dark Vorpal blade flew through the air right into Andrew's waiting hand.

"Well," said Andrew, "I didn't think it would work that well." Andrew and Elizabeth finally got a good look at each other. Elizabeth had the same color as Andrew's, but it was straight and fell halfway down her back. She wore black denim jeans, a black t-shirt, and a black cloak over it all. "Those are some impressive spells you've got there." "Thanks, and that's an impressive body you've got there." Elizabeth realized how it sounded when she observed his face turn a bright shade of crimson. "I mean--how your body operates. You have obviously worked out. I mean-- Sigh there's no way this can come out right, is there?" Andrew lightly chuckles. "It's okay, I know what you mean. So, since we did such a good job of wasting the dragon, would you be up for helping me get through the rest of this place? With that magic of hers, things should get a lot easier around here. _"And the fact that she's cute has nothing to do with this, right?" _Teased the voice. _"Don't worry, I agree with you. This place will get easier with a second party." _Elizabeth pretends to think about it for a second. "Well, I guess it's a good idea. It's better than getting pasted by a whole bunch enemies that attack faster than I do. Well, allow me to formally introduce myself. My name is Elizabeth Aulin. You are?" "My name is Andrew, Andrew Gold." Elizabeth extended her hand, which Andrew took and lightly kissed. Elizabeth turns a slight shade of crimson. "Aren't you just the little gentleman. Well, let's get going, shall we?" Elizabeth headed out the door with Andrew .

Elizabeth couldn't believe her luck! At first she was worried when those freaky priests abducted her and tried to offer her as a sacrifice, but then this guy just showed up, calm as you please, and sliced them to pieces! And not in any way a bad looking guy. His hair was the same color as hers, but he kept it short and neatly trimmed. And from the way he was able to zip circles around the enemies, it was obvious he worked out…but she had to stop thinking about that. The enemies here had gotten tougher as they went, ranging from the teleporting Astral Knights to the immortal red skeletons. But with Andrew slicing at them, they went after him, freeing her up to blow them away with her magic. As they went through the House, Andrew asked questions about all sort of things they found there, like the potions and the sub weapons (they had found a vial of holy water and a crucifix). She was afraid the complex explanations of the castle would confuse him, but he understood every word. He was particularly interested in the mind ups, which let them refresh their mana. It seemed that those dark attacks of his took up some of his mana to use. Once they unlocked the three gates to the basement, things got really tricky. There was a heavy fog all around the place, making it very hard to see. One time, they were nearly crushed when they bumped straight into an Executioner. Once they killed it, though, they found themselves outside of one of the castles resting areas. After they stopped for a rest, they didn't have to look far until they found the boss room. The door glowed with an eerie red glow, and was emblazoned with a huge skull. Andrew looked at the door and said, "I think we found it. You don't happen to know what's behind the door, do you?" Sorry but no. I know that it's some sort of undead creature, but not exactly what it is." Andrew shrugged, "Well, it doesn't exactly matter, does it? We'll wing it." Andrew visibly gulps as he places his hand on the door and walks through with Elizabeth right behind him…"

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Oooohhh, suspenseful, huh? Next time we'll see just what it is they are going to fight. Anyone who has played Lament of Innocence knows what's coming, but do try to looked surprised. Remember, your reviews can help the story!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Undead Parasite.

That's right! The first boss battle of the game! Let's see how Andrew and Elizabeth react to a worm the size of a locomotive! But I'm sure they'll get out of it somehow…I think. I do not own Castlevania…or Eternal Night. Walter said that it's his castle and that he's keeping it.

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As soon as they entered the room, Andrew and Elizabeth were assaulted by a foul stench of rotting flesh. A quick survey of the area showed 10 to 15 Soulless. Four huge eyeballs were staring up at the ceiling, their gaze ever fixed upwards. "Oh," said Elizabeth, "This doesn't look too hard! What is it, kill all the zombies? I can handle that." _"I wouldn't be too sure about that." _Said the voice in Andrew's head. _"The Soulless are merely a distraction for the true enemy." _"Hey, Elizabeth? I think this may be too easy. I mean, if it's one of the five guardians you told me about, wouldn't it be a lot tougher than this." Elizabeth considered his words for a moment. "Well…you do have a point. But if that's the case, then where is the enemy?" Her question is answered by a rumble resembling rolling thunder. Suddenly, out of the wall, burst a huge, eyeless, fanged serpent. The serpent was about the size of a train and was blacker than the darkest midnight. Elizabeth and Andrew were stunned by the size of their new adversary to the point that their jaws made physical contact with the floor. "This," said Andrew, "certainly complicates matters."

Elizabeth thought that Andrew had made the understatement of the century. "Complicated? Try impossible! How are we supposed to beat that thing?" "How about the same way we killed the dragon? We do make a pretty good team, after all." Andrew stared off into space for a moment, as if he heard a voice telling him what to do. "Right then. Elizabeth, go over to that corner and charge up your spells. I don't think it can reach over there. Just in case, I'll use my sword to distract it." Elizabeth took a quick look at the corner in question and thought that it was indeed a perfect place to stay and charge up. "I still think that we can't beat it!" Andrew shrugged. "You never know until you try." That having been said, Andrew flew at the giant serpent and began to attack. Wow, he's brave considering that his attacks won't do all that much damage. And he is a pretty nice guy. Man he looks hot. WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?!?! Elizabeth put her mind back to the task at hand and began to charge up a fire spell.

No matter how many times Andrew attacked the parasite, it didn't seem to even notice his strikes. That didn't bother him at first, but then when Elizabeth hit the parasite directly with her fire spell and it didn't even flinch, Andrew knew that something was wrong. Hey, whoever you are, why didn't you tell me that this thing doesn't take damage? _"For one thing, I want you to be able to win this battle on your own. Plus I was bored and it was fun." _So help me God, I'm gonna find out who you are. I want some answers. Andrew was suddenly hit by the parasite as it rammed into him. As he fell to the ground, a few drops of holy water fell out of the bottle at his side onto one of the eyes on the floor. The water burst into flame on contact, causing the eye to bleed and the parasite to scream in pain. It didn't take Andrew more than a few nanoseconds to realize that the eyes were the true target. _"Very good, my boy. You've discovered my parasite's weakness. Just remember that the holy water is linked directly to your mana." _YOUR PARASITE?! Who the heck are you? _"I'll tell you once you've killed the creature. Don't you think your partner would like to know about your discovery?"_ "Hey, Elizabeth! The creatures weakness is in those eyes! It also seems to be weak against-" dodges a fire blast from the parasite, "-holy power. You've got that cross, right?" Elizabeth holds it up to show him. Two crosses surround her and hit the eye in front of her.The parasite, now truly ticked off, begins to attack Andrew, who simply jumps to the side and sprinkles a few drops of holy water on one of the eyes.

After five minutes of continually assaulting the eyes, the final one explodes in a rain of blood. Suddenly, four beams of light shine out of the empty sockets and gather to the hole in the middle. A huge, bulb like brain pops out of the hole. "I guess that we just need to kill this brain and we're good to-" Andrew is cut off as the parasite rams into him at incredibly high speed. Just as he is getting up, the Soulless begin to attack him in droves. A quick blast from his Dark Vorpal Blade turns half of them into puddles of black blood. Just as the others are about to reach him, they are incinerated by a fire spell from Elizabeth, who winks and gives him a 'V'. Wow, she's really cute. Hey, why did I think that?! Andrew quickly attacks the brain just as it pops down into the hole. It emerges out of the hole that Elizabeth is in front of. "That was not a smart move." She said simply as she finished the lightning spell she was charging. The brain explodes and the parasite bursts into flames with an unholy screech. As the creature fades away, an orb of blue light appears before them both. The orb disappears and Andrew's holy water glows blue; the same thing happens with Elizabeth's cross.

"Well," said Andrew, wiping sweat off of his brow, "I think that went pretty well, don't you?" Elizabeth just stares at him. She shrugs and walks to the portal that has just materialized on the floor. "You go ahead of me, I'll just be a second." Elizabeth shrugs and walks into the portal and teleports away. Okay, whoever the hell you are, I want some answers now! Who are you? How do you know so much about this castle, why do you claim that the creatures here are yours? And most importantly, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING USING MY CRANIUM AS YOUR SUMMER HOME?! _"Well," _said the voice in Andrew's head in a mockingly frightened voice _, "If you're going to be so hostile, I guess I have no choice but to Answer your questions. I think that a proper introduction is in order first. I am the former lord of this castle…Walter Bernhard. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance…_

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Bet you didn't see that coming! It turns out that Dracula wasn't the only vampire reincarnated. I hope you all anticipate the chapter as much as I do! Remember, reviews are always welcomed.


	8. Chapter 8

-1A/N: Sorry I'm so late in updating this. I decided to wait for some reviews to improve the new chapters accordingly. And to Mathias Belmont, thanks for the compliment! So, without further ado, I present you with chapter 8. Hope you enjoy…

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Andrew stepped through the portal not soon after his little chat with Walter. When he emerged form the portal, he was back in front of Hammer's shop. Yoko and Elizabeth were in a heated argument.

"…I told you that you have no right to be here!"

"And I told you that you are in no position to be giving me orders, Ms. Belnades!"

"Whoa!" said Andrew, "Settle down! Trust me, I do not like the idea of two witches getting into a magic fight! Now what's going on here?"

Yoko brushed the hair out of her face. "If I've told Elizabeth once I've told her a thousand times, this is too dangerous for her! She's a very talented witch, but her spells take too long to cast. And she doesn't have any other means to fight. So I think that, for her own good, she should leave for now and continue her training."

"Okay," said Andrew, "Thank you, Yoko. Now it's Elizabeth's turn."

"I've studied this castles structure from maps left by Leon himself. I know more about this castle and its history than anyone else. I can't just let my knowledge of the castle go to waste. And with my powerful spells, I know that I can help inside the castle too! But Ms. Belnades here is so set on being the only witch in the castle that she refuses any help that I can give!"

Andrew turned to Yoko, "Is that true?"

"Of course not!"

"Ok then. Here's my idea. Since Elizabeth wants to help in the castle but is otherwise incapable of defending herself…"

"That's pretty rude of you."

"Sorry, but it's true. Anyway, in order for her to survive in the castle, she'll need someone to help her in the span it takes for her to cast her spells. And my attacks are quick but they don't pack that much of a punch, as it wereTherefore, it only makes sense that Elizabeth and I team up. I noticed that we do make a pretty good team. So, is that plan to both of your liking?"

Yoko thought for a minute then shrugged. "Sure. But Elizabeth, you make sure that you pull your weight. If Andrew gets hurt I won't be too happy." Yoko walked off towards the castle. Elizabeth hugged Andrew from behind.

"Wow, that was some pretty smart talking!"

Andrew scratched the back of his head. "Thanks…" So help me God Walter, if you talk using my mouth again I'm gonna stab you with a Q-tip.

"_No need to thank me."_

Anyway, you say that you're the former lord of this castle? I don't quite know anything about this castle, so could you please elaborate? I mean, just who are you exactly?"

"_Why don't you ask your little friend?"_

Andrew caught up with Elizabeth. "So, you know a lot about this castle, huh? Why don't you brief me on the history a bit?

"_What's this, deceiving your friend as to your intentions? That's rather sneaky of you. Very good."_

Shut up. Thought Andrew as Elizabeth explained the castles history to him.

"So you see, this castle is actually not Joachim's. It used to belong to a vampire lord known as Walter Bernhard. This was one egotistical bastard. He got pleasure solely from playing life or death games with the hunters who came to the castle. To make sure that they came, he even stole the thing that was most precious to them, often a family member. But it was his own game that led to his demise. For he was tricked into fighting Leon Belmont, the first of the line. After that, his soul was sucked into the Crimson Stone, where his power fueled Dracula for all time."

"Until Dracula was killed right? I mean for good."

"Yeah. From what Arikado told me, he smashed the Crimson Stone as a precaution against Dracula's return."

"_I think," _said Walter, _"That she has summed it up pretty well."_

"Now, here's a funny thought." Said Andrew, pretending to be joking around. "Since Dracula was able to be reincarnated, couldn't the same be true for Walter? I mean, if his soul was in the Crimson Stone, wouldn't he be free if it was destroyed?"

Elizabeth's face became white as a sheet. She grabbed Andrew's sleeve and dragged him into the cabin.

"_My young friend, you have all the brains of a freshly decapitated head! Now she's on to us!" _Elizabeth opened the door to the cabin. Inside are Arikado, Hammer, and Yoko. Julius has not returned yet. Elizabeth plopped Andrew in front of Arikado.

"Go on Andrew, say it! Tell Arikado your theory! We've got to put him on the lookout!" So Andrew quickly repeated what he had said to Elizabeth to Arikado. After hearing the whole thing, he simply said, "I see," and took to brooding in the corner. Walter mentally breathed a sigh of relief, giving Andrew a mild case of brain fart.

"_She didn't figure out that you are I? Aren't we lucky that her mental capacity is not far beyond that of your own?" _

Again, shut up or you get stabbed with a Q-tip. I guess she was just thinking that I was making a random comment. Besides, it's probably unthinkable that I would play host to one of the worst parasites since…ever.

"_Really, is it so bad that I'm with you? All I've done is help you around the castle. I've even made you capable of using the powers that were once mine." _

What?! Are you saying that my power came from…

"_Really, I thought it would have been obvious. Anyway, no need to thank me. Now, since I am in a hurry to get back to fighting, I think we had better buy what we need and get out of here." _Andrew walked up to the counter and tapped Hammer on the shoulder. Hammer created a small tornado with the force he spun around with, a stupid smile plastered on his face.

"Welcome to Hammer's! How can I help you?"

"First," said Andrew, "never do that again. That was disturbing. Secondly, how much will 6000 gold buy me?"

"6000?!" exclaimed Hammer, his eyes turning to dollar signs. "Come right this way sir! Firstly we've got these potions, good for if you're low on health and the resting points (Save points to those of you in the real world). A steal at only 200 gold apiece. We also have these…" Hammer rambles on as Andrew listens to Walter.

"_This man talks too much. I would highly recommend the "mind-ups". That way, you'll be able to replenish your mana if it should run out. A few potions would also be of use, just in case. And finally, buy the strongest armor you can with whatever you have left."_

Wow, you really do know how to get the stuff necessary, don't you?

"_Well of course, my young friend. After all, if I wanted to guess at the best way to crush the humans foolish enough or sentimental enough to come to me, I had to know what the hunter would probably have on hand." _Andrew told Hammer what he wanted.

"Armor, huh? I would recommend the chain mail shirt for you. It gives you good protection and good versatility, which a swordsman like you has gotta have."

"Alright," said Andrew, "I'll take it!" He handed the gold to Hammer. Hammer shook his head.

"Sorry, friend, but I'm afraid you're just 10 gold short."

"You've gotta be kidding me! Can't you just let this one slide?"

"Now Andrew, if I let you slide, I'd have to let all my customers slide."

"I 'M YOUR ONLY CUSTOMER!!!"

"You see? I'd have to let all my customers slide." Andrew looked crestfallen (very much like I do whenever I'm short a few dollars in aria/dawn. Dang you, Hammer!). Andrew was about to walk off when Elizabeth walked up and dropped a few coins on the counter.

"He'll take the mail. And I'd like a word with you alone, Hammer." Andrew took the hint and walked out of the cabin. As he was waiting for Elizabeth, he spied Julius coming up the path from the castle.

"Hey Julius! How're you doing?" Julius shakes Andrew's hand.

"Not so good. I couldn't find the stupid boss thing. How did you do?

"Let's see: didn't get killed, found a pretty girl, killed the boss, discovered…" He thought for a moment to tell Julius about Walter, but decided that if he did Julius would beat him senseless. "…That Hammer is incredibly stingy. All in all, I think I did pretty good."

"Pretty girl, eh? I wonder if you're referring to that blushing girl behind you." Andrew spins around to see Elizabeth outside the cabin door. Her cheeks were slightly red. Andrew looked embarrassed.

"Oh, well what I mean is…you see…sorry about that."

Elizabeth laughed. "No need. Thanks for the compliment. So anyway, here's your chain mail." Andrew thanked Elizabeth and slipped on the chain mail, increasing his defense. Julius cleared his throat to bring the two back to attention.

"I found this in the Theater. I don't know if it'll help, but you might find it useful." Andrew took the bell Julius handed to him and looked at it.

"Well thanks. Anyway, I think that we better get going…hang on a second! I haven't seen Soma anywhere. Julius, do you know where he went?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. He found a secret way into the castle that Joachim didn't seal. Right now he should be in the Garden Forgotten by Time. So, where are you two headed?"

"_I think," _said Walter, _"that the Ghostly Theater would be better. It shouldn't take you so long to locate the guardian." _

"I think we should go to the Ghostly Theater. Julius has already been there, so we should be able to survive. And Soma's taking care of the Garden, so we don't need to go there."

"Good idea" said Elizabeth. "Well, we'll see you later Julius!" Julius nodded at the two as they ran toward the castle, Elizabeth struggling to keep up with a laughing Andrew. Julius then took to brooding, looking like there was something that had him concerned…

A/N: Finally finished. So, how did you guys like the chapter? To answer the questions concerning Walter's re-incarnation, his soul was not destroyed; just trapped in the Crimson Stone. His soul was need to bring Dracula back to life again and again. When the stone was smashed by Alucard/Arikado in 1999 (He better have been there!) Walter was set free. And since Dracula was re-incarnated, why couldn't Walter be re-incarnated as well? Anyway, I'll see you guys again next chapter! Please review!


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Soma's Torment

Hi everyone! I'm so sorry that I haven't updated, but I have learned a valuable lesson. College is a bitch!!! I finally finished all of my papers and decided to re-read all of my previous chapters. And then I was hit with a brain storm to write!! With that in mind, I present you with chapter 9. For all of you Joachim fangirls, you are in for a treat. Also, we start off with Soma and how he is doing in the Garden. And of course, our naïve, young monster killing pair gets to see just what the Theatre has in store for them. I STILL DON'T OWN ETERNAL NIGHT or Castlevania. Enjoy!

Soma jumped into the air and brought his broad sword down on the Gargoyle he was fighting, smashing the stone creature into many small pieces. Having cleared the room, Soma stopped to catch his breath. After he found that breakable wall into the Garden, Soma had not spared any creature he came into contact with. Since he couldn't fight Joachim yet, he would take out his frustrations on these pathetic abominations that Joachim had created. Suddenly, Soma felt a presence appear across from him at the opposite side of the room. Soma spun around, facing the man that he wanted to kill more than any other person he had ever met in his life…

"Joachim!!!" Soma raised his sword up, ready to slash the frail vampire in two. Joachim did not even react to this hostile gesture; he simply smiled a slightly pointed smile.

"Hello Soma. I must say that I'm kind of surprised to see you here. But no matter, how are you doing? My pets aren't causing you too much trouble, are they?"

"You bastard, give me back Mina!"

"Now Soma, is that any way to ask for what you want? You didn't even say 'please'."

"What do you want with her anyway? I thought that Andrew was the one you wanted. What do we have to do with your plan?"

Joachim's smile grew even wider. The red glow in his eyes grew more intense. "Everything. You don't know it yet, but fate has not finished its business with you Soma. In fact, I don't think it will end until you surrender…and become the dark lord.

"That's not gonna happen! It's my life and I'll choose how to live it. And I don't care if it is the will of fate, I WILL save Mina and I WILL kill you!!" Soma charged at Joachim, anger fueling his speed. As Soma brought down his sword however, two of Joachim's floating swords caught Soma's in a midair scissor lock. Joachim's third sword flew towards Soma's throat, stopping exactly one millimeter before touching the flesh.

Joachim chuckled lightly at Soma's helpless position. "While I do admire your bravery, I find it too bad that you are still too weak to challenge me. Besides, before your pointless attack, I was about to share a helpful bit of information with you."

"Oh yeah, and what is that?"

"The lord of darkness need not be Dracula's current soul. I have witnessed this fact first hand. There is a way to sever your tie with fate."

The expression on Soma's face was a mixture of pure shock and elation. "There is?! Now there's some news I would have liked a little earlier! Tell me how."

"I'm afraid…" said Joachim, a small smile of victory on his face, "…that you are not ready to receive that information yet. However, I will leave you with a parting gift." Joachim tossed a rolled up map to Soma. "That map is a magical piece of work. Rather than show you a shrunk down version of the castle, it will change depending on the area of the castle you are in to a far more accurate description. The map also contains hints as to the Guardians locations and stats. Use it well, young Soma. I will be checking in on you every now and again. Until next time…" Joachim vanished in a cloud of violet mist.

Soma stood, holding his new map of the castle, looking confused as to the events that had just taken place. And then, filled with a new determination to rescue Mina and end his role as the dark lord, Soma began to follow the course outlined on the map…

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Andrew and Elizabeth, meanwhile, were exploring the Ghostly Theatre. Elizabeth's map, while leading them in a general direction, was not very specific about the rooms and the course that they had to take. In terms of combat, the Theater proved to be similar to the House of Sacred Remains; the monsters initially ranged from weak skeletons to moderately strong Ghosts. The rooms, however, were greatly different from the House's. They were focused greatly on traps and puzzles, such as motion sensitive lasers that would only let a person pass if they moved in a certain direction and rooms of total darkness. Despite these new traps, Andrew and Elizabeth gradually moved through the Ghostly Theatre. Then Andrew and Elizabeth came to a roadblock in their quest…the room that the map described as "holding the music of sweet combat", which they needed to face the turned out to be empty.

"Great," exclaimed Elizabeth, pacing about the empty room, "Now what are we supposed to do? We followed the map explicitly; we even climbed two different sets of stairs, so this should be the right room!

"_Indeed it is,"_ Walter said into Andrew's mind, _"But then why isn't there anything in here? Oh, whatever shall you do?"_

You know, you could be helping us out, Andrew thought, his anger at Walter's game of playing dumb and keeping him in the dark was getting worse.

"_Well think about it,"_ said Walter, _"Why would a room be empty? There are only two answers. One is that there was nothing in the room to begin with. And the other reason is…"_

"…The room has already been visited," said Andrew aloud, finishing Walter's thought.

"Huh, what was that?" Elizabeth looked at Andrew weirdly. After all, to her it sounded like he was talking to himself.

"Sorry, just…thinking out loud. Say Elizabeth, remember that bell that Julius gave to us earlier?"

"Yeah, so what? It doesn't seem to be good for anything."

"Exactly," said Andrew, taking the bell out of his pocket. "That it has almost no use elsewhere must mean that it was intended for a specific purpose. And since Julius found it here in the Theatre, it must be meant to be used here."

"Hey, wait a minute…" Elizabeth closed her eyes in thought, as if trying to remember some obscure fact that she had long forgotten. "…I remember reading something in a note that Leon Belmont brought back from this castle. 'When the bell tolls thrice under the stage the curtain will rise.' You don't think it could be…"

Andrew took a closer look at the bell. On the handle were carved four words, 'Let the play begin'. "…You have got to be kidding me. You mean that I fell down in the dark 15 freaking times and we had the key to the boss all along?!"

"_Ah yes, that part was rather funny"_

"Hey Elizabeth, you wouldn't happen to have a Q-tip on you, would you?" This statement caused Walter to shudder in fear, and in effect almost giving Andrew a seizure.

"Um…ok…what for?"

"_Alright, Alright! I promise to not make fun of either of you anymore! Now please, let's just get on with this mission!"_

"Never mind, I just thought I had something in my ear. It went away, though." As they left the room, Elizabeth couldn't help but notice that he had a look on his face that seemed to say 'I win, so there!'

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In getting back to the boss room, Elizabeth and Andrew faced several problems. First of all, one of the Spirits they came across happened to have a taste for parchment and ate Elizabeth's map in one gulp. Andrew looked on confusedly as Elizabeth beat the poor Spirit to death with a particularly heavy volume, shouting "900+ years old, you goddamned floating ball of…" and such profanities until there was nothing left to curse at. Since they had no map to guide them, they were forced to wander aimlessly from room to room. However, Walter got annoyed at the pair's non-existent sense of direction and began pointing Andrew in the general direction. After several potentially dangerous traps, including a field of laser beams suspended above a pit of hungry zombies, a meteor generator that almost crushed poor Elizabeth flat, and rather nasty room with a spiked ceiling that liked to crash down on the unsuspecting occupants, the directionless duo finally managed to arrive at the room before the boss fight. By now they were exhausted and very much in need of rest. However, they couldn't find one of the save spots that stopped time and allowed them to get some sleep nearby. As they were about to backtrack to a save room, they heard a loud scraping noise behind them. They turned around and saw that an enemy had emerged from the boss room. It was a thin, sickly looking male figure. He had an empty, longing look in his eyes, as if he were only an empty shell of his former self, dedicated to a lost cause. He carried a sword that was larger than his body.

"The Mistress…," said the thing, lurching forward slowly. "You two…will not…hurt…my Mistress." He brought up his huge sword, ready for a fight. Elizabeth and Andrew backed away from the thing in apprehension and prepared for a fight…

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Well, that's another chapter for you guy's to enjoy. I hope to make another one soon. By the looks of things, both our protagonist duo and Soma have tough battles ahead of them, as Soma draws closer to the Garden Guardian. By the way, I hope you loved the Joachim cameo, and I intend to make him more involved in the furure.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Double Feature

Sorry to keep all of you waiting for the next chapter, thing have gotten pretty hectic in my life. Anywho, here is the long-awaited tenth chapter of my fic. Hopefully you will all enjoy it, as it has a bit of Soma and our ever struggling duo. Also, I don't own Castlevania or Eternal Night nor the characters within. Dammit…

Soma entered through the blazing red door with readiness. Inside he found a large, ancient stone room covered in vines. Statues of men were lined up against the walls of the colossal room like figurines in a collection. In one of the alcoves of the wall there was a statue of a grotesque woman with snakes for hair. Slowly, the stone head began to morph into flesh.

"Welcome," hissed the snake headed monstrosity, "I haven't had any visitors in awhile…" The writhing snakes on the scalp of the head pushed the head clean off of the statue, where it hung in midair. Soma stared at Medusa with a mixture of revulsion and surprise, rather like as if he had come across a disgusting insect that he wanted to squash immediately.

"Wait, don't tell me," began Soma, taking on a sarcastic tone. He wanted to ruffle up her scales a bit before the fight to distract her "Medusa, right? And I thought the mini versions were ugly…really puts things into perspective." Medusa's expression immediately contorted into one of a woman slighted, which we all no Hell hath no fury like.

"Watch your tongue, cretin! I have turned stronger men than you into…hey, what're you doing?!" While she was talking, Soma had taken to casually slicing off a few of her snake hair strands with his broadsword.

"Oh, sorry, but this look just doesn't suit you very well. I was thinking of something in a Mohawk style, what do you think?"

"…I think I'm about skip petrifying you and simply tearing your limbs off one at a time and feeding you to my serpents piece by piece. How does that sound to you?"

Soma pulled himself into a fighting stance, sword extended and ready for business…

Elizabeth and Andrew were not having nearly as much fun with their battle. No matter what attacks they threw at the Enslaved One, he simply shrugged them off and continued to shamble toward them with his huge sword dragging behind him. Andrew, getting desperate to kill the thing, asked Walter for help.

*Walter, please tell me you know how to kill this thing!*

_I'd love to, but that would be lying. This new monstrosity isn't one of mine so I have no idea how to fight it._

*God, why is it the one time I actually need you you're completely useless?!* Andrew made a desperate lunge for the creature and plunged the Dark Vorpal Blade into the Enslaved one's back. With a swing of his sword's flat face, Andrew was sent crashing into a door on the other side of the room with enough force to break down the door. Behind the door was a small room with a large, glowing red door, signifying the home of a guardian. Elizabeth rushed over to Andrew with worry etched on her face.

"Andrew, you alright?"

Andrew got up shakily, bruised but otherwise intact. "Thankfully they just don't make doors like they used to."

Walter piped up_ Technically this_ is _how they used to make them._

*…Shut up…*

Elizabeth helped Andrew to his feet and picked his sword up which had flown out of his hand during his short flight. "The way I see things we have two choices" said Andrew, "option #1, keep fighting a losing battle with this thing until we're both dead. Option #2, we take our chances with the boss and grab the warp portal out of here and sleep this beating off like a bad hangover" The Enslaved One's sword crashed down less than two feet in front of the monster slaying duo.

Andrew and Elizabeth said the same thing. "…Option 2 it is!" Without so much as a glance back, the two ran through the red door like there was no tomorrow.

Soma back flipped away from the jabs of the Medusa's violent hairdo. He unleashed the soul of the Crimson Eye, which sent a thin but powerful beam into the face of the snake haired head. Reeling back in pain Medusa let out a cry of "Turn to Stone!" and shot petrification beams at the Master of Dominance. Soma avoided most of the beam, but his right leg was hit and encased in stone. As he desperately tried to free himself, Medusa curled herself into a ball and began violently rolling about the room trying to hit him. At the last second before he was about to be crushed, Soma called on the Guardian soul of the Armor Knight, which conjured a shield that blocked Medusa's rampage for the few seconds he needed to free his leg. Soma then took advantage of her momentary confusion to hack away at her with his claymore, cutting out one of her eyes in the process and sending her floating backwards in pain.

Soma heaved a sigh of exhaustion. "…Ok, not bad. Guess I shouldn't have estimated you so much. But tell me, why are you working for Joachim, what do you have to gain out of it?"

Medusa's scaled brow raised in confusion. "What are you talking about? No one should serve him, he is a prisoner here. My master is the lord of this castle, Walter Bernhard."

Soma's expression matched Medusa's own. "…Who?"

The chamber Andrew and Elizabeth ran into was a beautiful theater room. The walls were lined with rich red drapes and the hard wood floor polished to a mirror sheen. In front of them was a stage prepared for a play. Otherwise, the room was completely empty. Andrew took the bell from out of his coat pocket. "If this works, the guardian should appear, right?"

Walter answered the same as Elizabeth "_Of course_/Of course". Andrew rang the bell three times, which gave an ominous, deep tone with each resonation. From the center of the stage, a trap door opened to allow something to rise from beneath the stage. It was a large tombstone, fashioned in the form of a cross. And strapped to the front was…

"Mina!" Elizabeth and Andrew ran up to the stage, Andrew cutting Mina off of the statue with the Vorpal blade. Elizabeth caught Mina as she slowly began to stir.

"Wha-where am I?" Mina looked around, her eyes dazed and glassy. "Andrew? What's going on?"

"It's alright, we've got you." Andrew looked to Elizabeth, "I guess that thing we saw outside must have been the guardian and it escaped."

"If that's true, how are we going to get back to the main gate without getting killed?"

"There's only one way, I'll have to distract that freak long enough for you to sneak through."

"Bulls**t, I'm not letting you get killed like that!"

"Can you think of anything else? Look, I'm quick enough to avoid anything that thing can throw at me, but your attacks would take too much time to charge. Face it, we don't have a choice."

Elizabeth glared at him as if trying to intimidate him into giving in. After half a minute though she sighed and gave up, a worried look on her face. "Fine, but so help you God you better come back alive."

Andrew nodded. "Now listen, I need you to carry Mina on your back and follow me out of the room. I'll cover your retreat and follow you after I'm sure you've gotten far enough away." To calm her nerves, Andrew placed his hand softly over hers. "Don't worry, it's not like I plan to sacrifice myself. I'm coming back in one piece."

Elizabeth couldn't help but smile at him as he got up and headed toward the door. However, as his back was turned, Mina's hands slid around Elizabeth's neck from behind. Mina let out a small chuckle as her appearance warped and morphed. In mere moments she looked exactly like Elizabeth.

Walter's voice rang out in Andrew's head. _Andrew, behind you, the girl!_ Andrew spun around quickly to see two Elizabeths. Before he could , the Elizabeth being copied flipped the other Elizabeth over her back and started to attack her. Both Elizabeths rolled around on the ground, clawing and beating at each other. Andrew could only stand dumbfounded as he saw two Elizabeths in a catfight rolling around on the ground. As much as he wanted to continue watching, knowing he wouldn't see this sort of thing again, he reluctantly blasted the two of them with a Dark Vorpal energy strike. The blast was weak enough to not cause either of the girls harm but strong enough to knock the two away from each other.

"Well, I guess that takes care of the guardian problem. But this complicates things…" *Walter*

_Yes?_

*Just what exactly is this thing?*

_Well, judging from the last inhabitant in this room, coupled with the fact that it's using the same modus operandi, I'd say you've come across a succubus. _

*What's that?*

_Trust me, you don't want to know. Suffice to say, make sure you take the right Elizabeth with you or you'll regret it a little later tonight._

Both of the Elizabeths pointed at each other "Andrew, blast that phony!" they said in unison. The two looked at each other "Hey, I'm not the fake, you are!"

Andrew sweat dropped. *Walter, please tell me you know how to tell which one's the real one.*

_Naturally I do, I used to own a succubus. Lots of fun, too._

Andrew let out an internal cry of joy. *Finally, you have a use! So, which one's the real one?*

Walter chuckled. _Oh Andrew, you should know me better than that by now. You'll have to find out which one's real on your own._

*…Walter, you had better be joking…*

_Now Andrew, if you don't figure out how to do it on your own, how will you ever learn? I'm helping to teach you a very important lesson, you really should thank me._

*…You'd better hope you don't find a way out of my head, because so help me God, I WILL give you a swift kick in the ass!*

_I'll keep that in mind…_

Andrew sighed in exasperation as he looked at the two Elizabeths before him. "You know, before this I would've thought two Elizabeth's would've been awesome. God, somebody up there hates me.

_No, just lots of people down there…_

And there you have it folks! …after almost 2 years…sorry for the wait guys! More to come soon (I hope)


	11. Chapter 11

Castlevania: Eternal Sorrow Chapter 11

Welcome to another 'exciting' edition of Castlevania: Eternal Sorrow. Last time, Soma came close to finding out about the former owner of the castle and Andrew has to choose between one Elizabeth and another. Will Andrew figure out the real one? Will Soma finally understand why he was brought into this whole mess? And will Walter finally prove himself useful? Find out the answers to these questions and more…RIGHT NOW! Once again, I don't own Castlevania or Eternal night or the characters therein.

Soma delivered one final slash to the already bloodied monster. Medusa fell with a terrible cry, the massive head on the ground in its death spasms. "Now answer me. What do you know about Walter Bernhard? Joachim is the new lord of the castle, but who are you talking about?"

Medusa looked up at him with glazing eyes. "I don't know what you want me to say. Was it not Walter who stole your maiden from the village?"

"What do you mean village? Mina and I live in Tokyo city."

"…City? What is a city?"

Soma looked down at the fallen head, a curious idea occurring to him. "…What year do you think it is?"

"I can't tell how long I rested for, but it cannot be any later than year 1300."

Soma sighed, "Well that explains a lot. The year is 2037."

Medusa's eyes widened in shock, "So long…how could it have been so long since that man with the whip beat me? What could have prevented Lord Walter from reviving the castle for so long…" With a final scream, Medusa turned to stone, and was silent forevermore.

The sound of light clapping drew Soma's attention to the other side of the chamber. Joachim stood there, applauding Soma's defeat of the Garden guardian. "Well done, little boy. I knew you were good, but I didn't think you could take out a guardian with such ease."

"Joachim…" Soma approached the silver haired vampire. "Who was she talking about? Who was Walter?"

"Exactly as she said, the former lord of this castle, before he was killed by a vampire hunter he sorely underestimated; Leon Belmont, the ancestor of your friend Julius."

"But from what she said, it sounds like this Walter had the same ability as Dracula to revive himself from the grave. What exactly happened?"

Joachim shrugged, "He was too trusting, and was betrayed in a horrible way; it seems he was just a pawn in someone else's plan just as Leon was a pawn of both plans."

"So what happened? Who betrayed him? And what does this have to do with de-inheriting myself from the Dark Lord's title?"

Joachim held up a finger. "That's a conversation for another time, my little friend. Until then, I'd suggest going to the topmost floor of this garden, where the lightning never fails to crash. It's on the map I gave you."

Soma shot him a questioning look "Why should I do this?"

"It's just a little something to help you level the playing field against your ultimate opponent. You'll understand what I mean when you see who you're up against."

"And then I can have Mina back?"

"Yes, of course, with my heartfelt thanks and apologies for the inconvenience. Until then, young prince…" Joachim faded into his signature purple mist, leaving Soma alone in the chamber with the fallen legend.

Andrew looked between the two women puzzled. Both were identical in their

physical characteristics and their voices were identical. So how was he supposed to find out who the real one was?

*You know Walter, a little help would be greatly appreciated. Like right now.*

_Sorry, but I'm afraid you'll have to figure it out on your own. It's really not as hard as you think it is. Keep in mind though, Joachim has likely briefed her on everything that has happened within the castle walls and so asking her questions on her time here will not avail you. Think about what you know or suspect about her, and things she's done OUTSIDE the castle and the truth will fit like a new suit._

Andrew, deciding that he didn't want to talk to the pompous voice in his head much longer, got to thinking about the situation. One of the Elizabeths tried to siddle up close to him but was knocked away by the other who screamed something about 'demon hussie', though Andrew was too deep in thought about Walter's words. *If I know Walter, and I do, he does want me to win and figure this out…he likely left me a clue…(Suddenly he snapped his fingers and laughed aloud, startling the two Elizabeths) "Well, that was stupid of me! How could I forget that?"

They both stare at him questioningly until he throws his arm around one of their shoulders. "Tell me, what was the first thing you said to me in the castle?"

The Elizabeth he's got his arm around brightens up, "I know that easy! You helped me up, guessed my name was Elizabeth and I said 'Yes, but how?'

Andrew hugs her tightly. "Bingo! It's obvious that you're the real one." The other Elizabeth starts to cry and the other throws her arms around him. But far from smiling, Andrew eyes the girl suspiciously while her head is over his shoulder.

"Oh, I'm so glad you figured it out? What tipped you off?"

"Well, I just took one look at the coat you got for me, the one I'm wearing now…" The other Elizabeth's head snaps up and comprehension dawns on her "…and remembered that what you said after that was?"

"Don't worry, the coat's on me!" The room echoes in awkward silence. The Elizabeth in Andrew's arms looks over at the other and wonders why she's grinning like a maniac. "What? What's wrong? I did say that, right?"

Andrew lets her out of the hug and puts an arm around her shoulder to comfort her. "Oh well, Elizabeth actually said "it's on me' but that's close enough, right?"

The Elizabeth chuckles nervously, "Yeah, of course it is."

Andrew then glares at her, "Or it would be, if not for the fact that outside the castle, where Joachim can't see, Elizabeth bought me a shirt of **Chain Mail**, I got the coat when I first got here. In short…" He quickly draws the Dark Vorpal Blade and slashes her across the chest. "You done goofed." The real Elizabeth rushes over to Andrew, who knocks aside the imposter, and gives her a hug. "Sorry I couldn't fill you in sooner."

Elizabeth just hugs him tightly. "I understand, element of surprise. Just make it up to me later."

Andrew lightly blushes at the implications, but his blood quickly runs cold at the sound behind the two of them. The Elizabeth is rising from the floor, cackling in a sinister and evil tone. "So, mortal, you tricked me into a slip of the tongue. That was clever…I'm surprised you could do it without any help."

Andrew smirks at her, "What can I say, I'm cool like that. So, apparently you can take getting cut in the chest no problem. Don't you think it's time to drop the act? With that alarming amount of blood you're pumping, there's no way I can't tell who the real one is anymore."

The fake shrugs, "Maybe so, but I think you forget what you stand against…" As she talks, she is emitting a pheromone that affects Andrew in the worst of ways. It takes all his will power to not rush to her side. "My goodness, such strong will for one so young…but if you come to me, I promise pleasures you will never forget…" The urge to join her grows stronger, visibly showing on his face, causing Elizabeth to hold onto him tighter.

The fake begins running her hands over her fake Elizabeth body, which emits a retort from Elizabeth, "Hey, keep your hands to yourself! ...I mean, off my body…damn it, just show yourself!"

The fake looks surprised, "My, you want me to take him THAT badly? If you insist, I won't drag this out any longer…" Her façade as Elizabeth melts away, revealing a figure dressed in black skin tight clothing that's exceptionally revealing. A pair of batwings emerges from her back. Andrew and Elizabeth take one look at the succubus and both of their eyes grow round as saucers. The succubus crooks a finger at him, "Now come to me, slave!"

Once again, the room is thick with an awkward silence as neither Andrew nor Elizabeth make a move and only gawk at the succubus. Elizabeth breaks the silence with an unexpected, "You're just too cute! But you shouldn't dress up like that!"

The succubus' face goes slackjaw in horror, "I'm sorry, what?"

Andrew starts laughing hard, "It's-it's a KID? Joachim put his money on a kid? In the throne room, Joachim can only bury his head in shame at his succubus.

The succubus goes red in the face. "Who are you calling a kid? I'm 13 years old you know, legally a teenager!" This statement causes Andrew to laugh even harder and even Elizabeth to crack a grin. The Succubus stomps her foot on the ground in a tantrum, "No, no, NO! I'm a demon of pure lust and fear! Bow to me!"

Elizabeth pats her on the head, "Look sweetie, why don't we get you a change of clothes and send you home, this is no place for a girl your age."

A vein pops in the young succubus' head, "You did NOT just go there, thunder thighs! I will END you!" She puts her fingers between her teeth and issues a shrill whistle. Moments later, the sword wielding giant from the previous room bursts in, breaking down the door and roaring with rage. Andrew and Elizabeth quickly back away from the menace, taking up defensive stances. The young succubus giggles and flutters onto the Devoted One's shoulder. "The curtains up, the actors are on stage, the opera begins…"

Well, THAT certainly took a long time, now didn't it? Well, better mate than never. Now let's see what our newly sorted out couple can do against this deadly duo…After I sort out my sanity.


End file.
